Bollywood Hollywood... |
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Movie: Bollywood Hollywood
Director : Deepa Mehta
Cast: Rahul Khanna, Lisa Ray, Moushumi Chatterjee, Dina Pathak,
Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Jessica Pare
Written by: Deepa
Mehta
Produced by: David Hamilton
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iDream Productions' BOLLYWOOD / HOLLYWOOD,
directed by Deepa Mehta, is a love story that seems a mix of a Hindi film [DULHAN WAHI JO
PIYA MAN BHAAYE; Rameshwari-Prem Krishen] and an English flick [PRETTY WOMAN; Julia
Roberts-Richard Gere].
Rahul Seth (Rahul Khanna) is a young millionaire who believes he is "western"
enough to rebel against his mother (Moushumi Chatterjee) and grandmother (Dina Pathak).
They are not too keen |
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about his Caucasian girlfriend
Kimberly (Jessica Pare), who, to make matters worse, is a pop star.
Kimberly dies in a freak accident and Rahul is devastated. Instead of allowing him to
mourn in peace, |
Rahul's mother threatens to call off his
sister's (Rishima Malik) wedding unless he finds himself a nice Indian girl.
Rahul enlists the services of Sue (Lisa Ray), who accepts the deal to pose as his Indian
bride-to-be. Slowly, Sue endears herself to Rahul's family. She cracks a tough nut like
his grandmother, becomes friends with his sister and younger brother and even calls the
shots with his chauffeur (Ranjit Chowdhry).
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It seems that everyone is falling
in love with Sue. Even, perhaps, Rahul. During the course of his sister's marriage
celebrations, Sue breaks through Rahul's tough exterior and helps him find his heart
again.
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But an incident changes things. Does Rahul
accept Sue for who she is and what she represents?
With director Deepa Mehta at the helm of affairs, you definitely expect much from
BOLLYWOOD / HOLLYWOOD. Fortunately, the film succeeds in arresting your attention despite
a few loose ends in the script.
The screenplay is satirical with witty one-liners and what elevates it |
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further is Mehta's deft storytelling. The outcome
is a light-hearted romantic comedy that is sure to be identified by the elite in
particular.
The film succeeds mainly due to the humour that's woven in the plot. The sequences between
Dina Pathak, Moushumi Chatterjee and Rahul Khanna succeed in bringing a smile on the
faces. Ditto for the |
romantic ones featuring the lead pair, which
have been handled with care.
But the film suffers in the latter part, when predictability seeps in. Although the
outcome of this love story seems apparent, the predictable path it takes to culminate the
love story dilutes the impact to an extent. Also, the film gets too slow at this point.
Directorially, Deepa Mehta merges the east and west beautifully. |
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Moreover, she has extracted fine
performances from the entire cast. Sandeep Chowta's music is easy on the ears. 'Suni
Hawa', 'Rang Rang Mere Rang Rang Mein' and 'Dil Kabootar Khana Hain' can easily be singled
out. Cinematography is alright.
Rahul Khanna is extremely charming, handling his role with utmost sincerity. Lisa Ray is a
complete natural, lighting the screen with her presence. Moushumi Chatterjee does well.
Dina Pathak is excellent. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is in form. His breaking into a Bollywood
dialogue/song is sure to be enjoyed. Ranjit Chowdhry is efficient.
On the whole, BOLLYWOOD / HOLLYWOOD comes at a time when crossover films are making
inroads into the Indian market. BOLLYWOOD / HOLLYWOOD has the to-the-point narrative of
the West and characters that can easily be identified by the Indian cinegoer. At the
box-office, the film should find acceptance from the youth, with business prospects
looking brighter at metros mainly.
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Courtesy: indiafm |
